Brain and Serum profile of the African Giant Rat brain (Cricetomys gambianus) after natural exposure to heavy metal environmental pollution in the Nigerian Niger Delta

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• Professor James O Olopade, Alexander von Humboldt Center of Excellence for Zoonotic Arboviral Diseases (ACEZAD) University of Ibadan
• Wednesday 03 May 2023, 16:00-17:00
• LT2.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Fiona Roby.

Abstract Increased crude oil-based industrial exploitation in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria causes severe environmental contamination with heavy metal pollutants. There is little information on how these pollutants affect the nervous system of humans and animals in the region. This is a significant issue to address since human neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease of humans, and prion diseases of humans and animals are reported to be associated with changes in heavy metal content in the brain. The African Giant Rat is an ideal ecotoxicological research model to study the nervous system due to its exploratory activities and ubiquitous profile. Here we investigated the blood serum and brain pathology of African Giant Rats obtained from different regions/ecological zones of Nigeria that are subjected to different levels of industrial pollution: Ibadan (rainforest); Abuja (savannah with mining activities) and Port-Harcout (humid forest with crude oil exploration). This seminar will present data on the level of metal ions, including zinc, copper and iron, found in the serum and brain of African Giant Rats from these different regional locations and the extent of brain neurodegeneration in these animals. This novel and important study has been kindly supported by the Cambridge-Alborada Trust.

About the Speaker: Professor James Olukayode Olopade is currently the Principal Investigator of Alexander von Humboldt Center of Excellence for Zoonotic Arboviral Diseases (ACEZAD) and the Director of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital, at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. James graduated with the DVM degree in 1992 and obtained his MSc and PhD in 2003 and 2006, respectively, all from the University of Ibadan. James carried out postdoctoral training in Neurobiology at the Marine Biology Laboratory Woodshole, USA , in 2007 and in 2013 as a Grass Fellow; as an International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO) Fellow in Penn State University, USA in 2008, and as a MacArthur and Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, both at the University of Wurzburg, Germany from 2010 to 2011. His current research areas are in neuroscience and comparative anatomy. He has been funded by a variety of organisations including the International Society of Neurochemistry; the International Brain Research Organisation, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Nigeria, the University of Ibadan Research Foundation, and the Cambridge Alborada Grant amongst others. James has served as a member of the IBRO African Regional Committee; President of the Society of Neuroscientists of Africa; Special Editor of (Neuroscience in Africa) for IBRO Neuroscience Reports; and a Councillor of the International Society of Neurochemistry. Amongst his busy teaching and administrative load James has supervised over 20 postgraduate students.

This talk is part of the Departmental Seminar Programme, Department of Veterinary Medicine series.

This talk is included in these lists:

• All Talks (aka the CURE list)
• Cambridge Immunology
• Cambridge Infectious Disease
• Cambridge Infectious Diseases
• Departmental Seminar Programme, Department of Veterinary Medicine
• LT2
• Vet School Seminars

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